Author Archives: Nicole Humphrey

Creating Special Blended Family Traditions

This month I have focused a lot on the holiday traditions in a blended family. As I mentioned in a previous article, it is important to share these traditions, and compromise when there is any issues. The other thing I really want to focus on, is creating special traditions just for your blended family. Blended families are becoming the norm, and it is increasingly common to find blended families arguing before and during the holiday’s based on traditions. There is no doubt that someone who is set in their ways, can be difficult around the holiday time, when anything threatens … Continue reading →

Making a Vow to Get Your Scrapbooking Area Organized

New Year’s is right around the corner, and the old adage “Out with the old, In with the new”, is possibly something you will be focusing on soon. As we all know, most well meaning people create these long lists of resolutions, and are lucky if one or two of them are accomplished. This year, create a resolution to get rid of the things you don’t use, and reduce the clutter in your scrap room. It won’t be easy, there is no doubt. For many people it is difficult to get rid of things, always keeping in the back of … Continue reading →

Put a Little Christmas on Your Layouts

Scrapbooking supplies are expensive, and if you are looking for a frugal alternative, I’ve got some ideas for you. Christmas decorations are pretty plentiful at this time of year. There are dozens of ways you can incorporate all types of materials into your scrapbooks, so why not look at the holidays for a little inspiration? Wrapping Paper – We all wind up with a large amount of wrapping paper scraps. If you are truly frugal, you probably save them convinced that somewhere down the line you will find a gift for someone that is just that small. It could happen, … Continue reading →

Being Fair With Gifts in a Blended Family

Gift giving in a traditional family is difficult. You want to be fair to all the kids, and for some families this means the number of gifts, and for other families this can mean the cost of all gifts involved. Please remember that holiday’s are not about gifts, and there are much more important lesson’s to be learned, then materialism. In a blended family, gift giving can be even more of a challenge. You might have a blended group that lives together full time, and this might go more like a traditional family. However, many blended families consist of children … Continue reading →

Why Journal?

A couple of days ago, I was involved in a conversation with a non-scrapbooker about journaling and scrapbooking. While I love having these conversations, there are some that stay with me longer and make me really think about things. This was one of those conversations. Jennifer is just figuring out that she would like to put her pictures in a pretty album so her children can enjoy looking at them. She doesn’t think she’s creative enough to make pretty, elaborate pages like many of the traditional scrapbookers, and she really doesn’t think she has the time. Those two things I … Continue reading →

Recording Christmas Decoration Memories

Many of your Christmas Decorations tell a story. They have a history or a reason that you chose them, or were given them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to pass these memories on to future generations so they understand why you decorate the way you do? For Christmas, often we decorate the same way each year. A purchase might be made because there is the perfect spot waiting to hold it. Whether it is a bowl on the kitchen table filled with pine cones and berries or the Christmas garland you bought to go over the fireplace, they tell a story … Continue reading →

Celebrating Different Holiday’s in a Blended Family

Sometimes when two families blend, there are two different religions that come into play. Many times, the families can work out the differences and work around the different holiday’s that come into play. But then there are the times when a family is having a difficult time figuring out how to celebrate a holiday. The very first thing I will tell you, is that exposing your children to different religions is not a bad thing. It is important for children to learn diversity, and there is certainly nothing wrong with learning and experiencing a holiday they might not have otherwise. … Continue reading →

Meeting Joanna Campbell Slan

As any writer knows, it is always a great honor and privilege to meet an inspiring author who has touched your heart or life in some way. For me, that author is Joanna Campbell Slan, and after many years of enjoying her work and conversing with her occasionally online, I had the opportunity to meet her this past Thursday night. A couple of months ago, Joanna sent me a message on Facebook to see if I was planning on attending one of her book signings and sent me to a website where I could stalk find out where she was … Continue reading →

Sharing Holiday Traditions in a Blended Family

Merging two families together can present some challenges at the holiday time. Most families have traditions that they follow each year. It might be visiting a particular light display, breakfast with santa or opening a gift on Christmas eve. However, when a family does one set of traditions, and another family has a different set of traditions, there is bound to be some conflict. The first step is to sit down and communicate your traditions to each other. Discuss the events and activities that you cannot possibly imagine doing without each year. You might also involve the family in this … Continue reading →

Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan

To most, it might seem as if scrapbooking is my main passion. I can see why, nearly three years under my belt of writing scrapbooking articles for this site, not to mention the previous years for another site. I’ve been scrapbooking for 14 years now, and I can tell you honestly, there is no end in sight. As long as there are pictures to be taken, and memories to be made, you will find me in my scrapbook studio, happily scrappin’ away. However, I do have other passions. I am an avid reader, and when I can combine scrapbooking with … Continue reading →